


With You

by that_shipper



Category: Captain America
Genre: M/M, Stucky - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-03-03
Updated: 2015-03-03
Packaged: 2018-03-16 03:05:13
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,019
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3472100
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/that_shipper/pseuds/that_shipper
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Pre Serum Stucky. Steve and Bucky are the best of friends, until they're more.</p>
            </blockquote>





	With You

**Author's Note:**

> Hey there! Hope this cute little fic makes you happy. Make sure to listen to the song "It's been a long, long time." By Harry James and his orchestra and Kitty Kallen. Plays a lot into the fic.   
> Anyhow, enjoy loves!

The day had started out very hard, like usual. 

I was struggling to stay alive and I sure as hell knew it, and so did everyone around me. 

I have been sick for almost two weeks now. 

Lying in bed, all I'm doing is sitting here, coughing, praying, and waiting. 

Waiting for Bucky. 

I wait for him to get back to our one bedroom apartment, that we rent for dirt cheap. 

Bucky's out working all day long, five 'till five, he's out on the pier loading ships. 

It's the middle of fall, and I'm cold, I'm always cold, but Bucky comes home covered head to toe in sweat,from lifting boxes all day. 

I just wish I was well enough to be out there with him, by his side where I should be. 

He tells me he likes his job 'cos it gives him time to think. 

This day and age he's got lots to think about.

Maybe he thinks about women. 

Maybe joining the army. 

We're gonna do it one day. 

One day I'm gonna feel better and we're gonna enlist together. 

As it should be. 

As it'll always be: together. 

Steve and Bucky, Bucky and Steve. 

I hear the door handle jiggling, the sound of keys jangling. 

I hear Buck curse, like he does every time, "Christ, I can't get this godamned door open!" Then it flings open wide with a single long creak. 

Buck always says he'll get to oiling it one day, but he's always to busy worrying about me to get around to it. 

"Hey Buck." I say starting to sit up. 

That starts another bough of the dreaded coughing. 

"Ah, jeez Stevie," he says dropping his stuff and walking over to me. 

The coughing is deep and it rakes through my body in shakes. 

"Stevie.." He whispers, as he jogs over to the bed. 

"Hush, I gotcha.." He tells me as he gets over to me, and pulls me up onto his lap, and wraps his arms around me. 

"I gotcha Stevie." He tells me over and over as the coughing continues. 

He leans against the wall now, and opens his legs, my back to his stomach. 

I rest comfortably between his legs as my coughing subsides. 

When I can speak it comes out in rasps, but I force out, I feel like...," I cough once more. "I feel like a dame Buck.." I say starting to laugh softly, as to not start up the coughing again. 

I pat his right leg, "I think Im good now Buck..." I say thankfully without another bought of coughs. 

"Gotta keep ya safe punk..." He murmurs. 

"You tired Buck?" I ask him. 

"Yeah.." He says voice ridden with tiredness. "Double shipment today." He tells me. 

"You can sleep if you want.." I tell him, finding myself thoroughly awake with Bucky's strong arms holding me.

"Ahh..." He says. "Maybe I will..." 

He leans into me so our cheeks touch. "But you," he says accusingly, "gotta wake me if you start to coughin' again."

"Buck," I tell him. "I think if I start coughin' again, you'll wake up." 

He pulls back and my cheek feels cool where his was moments ago. 

"I'm with you Stevie.." He says sleepily. 

"'Till the end of the line." I finish.

I feel him start to go slack, sleep taking him over. 

"Buck?" I whisper to make sure he's asleep. 

When he doesn't reply I wrap my hand into his and lean my head back onto his chest. 

I feel sleep try to pull on me too, but I stay awake as long as I can just looking at our now interlaced fingers. 

"'Till the end of the line Buck.."

I sit up, waking to darkness.

I feel something stir behind me. 

Bucky. I think with a smile. 

"What happened Stevie...?" He asks in a sleepy, raspy kind of voice. 

In the little light I see him rub his eyes. 

"Nothin'," I say looking at him. "jus' a dream..." I cough once. "Guess it woke me up.." I tell him. 

I feel him underneath me, as he wraps me into a hug. 

"Ya feelin' okay Stevie?" He asks. "How's your chest?" 

"Feels pretty good Buck..." I tell him. "I think I'm getting near the end of it..." I trail off, just distracted by the feeling of his strong arms wrapped around me. 

"That's real good Stevie." He says leaning into me so I can catch a glimpse of his wide smile.

"Whaddya say we get some breakfast?" He asks still flashing that charming smile. 

The one that gets all the dames.

I smile back at him and he gets up to make something. 

The cupboards are all but bare, but somehow, he finds a little bit of oatmeal.

We don't have sugar around 'cos it's dreadfully expensive now. That means the oatmeal'll be plain, but I'm so hungry it doesn't matter anyhow. 

He starts a kettle to boil the water and comes out of the shabby kitchen to sit on the edge of the bed again. 

I raise an eyebrow at him. "Shouldn't you be keeping an eye on the cooking not worrying over me." 

He chuckles softly as he glances over his shoulder into the kitchen. 

"Don't you know you can't sit around and watch water boil?"

He informs me with a familiar lopsided smile. 

I can't help but grin along with him. 

***

After we eat, Bucky heads out to work again. 

It's a Saturday today, but to afford the both of us, he works seven days a week, but he gets off two hours earlier on the weekends. 

I'm stuck in here waiting again. 

At least today, I'm feeling a bit better, so I'm able to walk around, and even wash up. 

I must smell awful, since I hadn't gotten fully cleaned up for a few days. 

I only take a little water since I remember last month we got cut off. 

I strip down in the bathroom and use a rag and a little bar of soap we still have and run it all over my body. 

I look at myself in the cracked mirror to see a scrawny kid staring back at me. I look small and insignificant. 

It's no wonder no dames ever want to be with me. 

When I feel mostly clean, I wash my hair too.

I feel much better all clean, crawling back into bed and closing my eyes to sleep again. 

Before I lose consciousness, I think again of Bucky, out there working his butt off double time all 'cos I can't. 

I feel a breeze flow in from a crack somewhere in the walls of our crappy apartment, and I see goosebumps crawl up my arms and legs. 

I full the covers up tighter around me, and hug myself. 

I image it's Bucky's strong arms holding me, and not my own, and I drift off much quicker.

 

I hear the door rattle open and I sit up, now wide awake.

"Buck?" I ask as I see him wander in the door. 

He's carrying a large box in his arms and he's grinning like a fool. 

"Boy Stevie!" He says clearly excited. "Do I have a surprise for you!" 

I raise an eyebrow and stand up cautiously. 

"Can we afford said surprise?" I ask walking over to him. 

He drops his coat and shabby hat at the door and just smiles at me wide again. 

"The guy down at the docks was practically giving it away." His wide white grin catches onto me too and I smile too.

"Well," I say. "What is it?" 

If it possible his smile gets even larger as he pulls out the object. 

I drop my jaw in surprise to see the small radio perch on the dented wooden table. 

"Oh Bucky...." I say looking at the wonderful machine. 

We've always talked about getting one, but we never had the money. 

"Ta Da!" He says flicking a switch and turning the knob. 

For a moment it's all fuzz, but then a song comes on, an upbeat and jazzy tune. 

"We can get four or five stations, maybe more depending on where we are." He explains to me excitedly, and I see he's flitting around the room closing blinds. 

"What're you doing Buck?" I ask seeing him dance lightly around before reaching the door and locking it.

"We can't have anyone seeing me teaching ya how to dance Stevie!" He says smiling. "It'll ruin my reputation for sure." He jokes winking. 

I smile too, but both of us know that there is a much more dangerous reason as to why he closes the blinds.

"Buck," I start. "I love the radio but-" 

He cuts me off grabbing my hand saying, "Then there shouldn't be a problem! Lets dance!" 

I pull away quickly. "Bucky, you know I can't dance... And besides..." I add quietly. "I can't start up the asthma again..." 

He rolls his eyes at me before plastering back on his charming smile. 

He pulls on n hand again before saying, "Steve, you've go to know how to dance. At least for the dames." 

He looks down at me and adds, "And as for your asthma, we'll put on a slow one... Would you at least consent to that?" 

It was very hard to say no to him when he brought out his puppy dog eyes. 

You could swear he was actually a Golden Retriever or something begging for a scrap of food. 

I sighed deep and he took that as a yes, face turning bright again as a familiar smile popped out. 

He reached for the knobs on the radio and kept turning until it hit something slow. 

I heard the band playing out through the slight fuzz as the familiar tune makes me smile. 

He smiled at me again before directing me where to place my hands. 

"Now," he says looking down at me and pulling us slightly closer. "You can be the dame for a bit so I can show you how it's done." He chuckles slightly at my unamused expression. 

He guides my one hand to his shoulder and places the other in his hand, raising it in the air. 

I swallow as he puts his other hand on my waist. 

"Jus' follow me now Stevie..." He says starting to sway to the music. 

I nod trying to follow his movements. 

It suddenly turned more difficult as he moved his feet as well. 

I try to keep up with his swaying, and his feet, until he laughs, almost adding to the sweetness of the melody. 

"What?" I ask glaring up at him. 

"Jus' don't try so hard Stevie, jus'... You know.. Go with it." He smiles at me again like he's make a breakthrough, and I just look at him shaking my head. 

I hear her start to sing on the track and I whisper along. 

We barley move now. We mostly just stand I. Place swaying back and forth. 

He gently pulls me closer. 

"You gotta hold the dame close Steve." He tells me pressing me up to his chest. 

I inhale his wonderful familiar scent as I softly sing along. 

Bucky rests his head on top of mine. 

"I like your singing voice Stevie." He says to the top of my head. 

I start to sing slightly louder to the chorus. 

"Kiss me once, then kiss me twice, then kiss me once again. It's been a long long time.." I sing. 

My voice comes out slightly raspy as I feel him kiss the top of my head each time the song says so. 

He holds me closer, and drops his arm, moving now so both of them cradle me around my waist. 

I, unsure, move both my arms to wrap around his neck. 

I almost think I hear him give a sharp intake of breath as my fingers brush his tan skin. 

Then he's singing. 

We are both singing quietly and he's kissing my head and I'm losing my mind. 

The song moves back into the band, and the singing stops. 

Bucky's hands trail circles on my back. 

As the song comes to a close, Bucky's arms never loosen, and he's still resting his head on mine. He hums the tune of the song even though it's over. 

"Bucky?" I ask. I feel him smile into my hair. 

"Yes?" He replies simply. 

He lifts my chin with two fingers so I'm forced to look into his smiling face. Well, not forced exactly. 

"You know the songs over right?" I say trying not to smile. 

He looks down at me, warm fingers still under my chin. I'm always so cold, but when Bucky's near, it's like I have my own personal heater. 

His fingers feel warm under my chin. 

He smiles again, not breaking a stare and nods laughing softly through his nose. 

A new song is starting up, but Bucky seems to have tuned it out or something, for it's much too fast for the slow pace we still gently sway at. 

His fingers drop from my chin, but I don't dare break eye contact as his large, warm and calloused hand rests on my face. 

His other hand joins it on the opposite side, and for a moment I don't even breathe, not wanting to ruin this small moment. 

Then I remember the asthma and I breathe again, but it comes out shallow. 

"Buck?" I say again. 

He doesn't respond. 

He leans in carefully, slowly, I could count everyone of his dark eyelashes. 

The moment his lips touch mine, it's like fire. 

At first, our kiss is slow and tentative. I savour every moment, feeling the silky smoothness of his lips. 

My hands tangle themselves in his hair as he opens his mouth. 

I let the warmth in and the kiss become more needy. 

I shudder as his gouge glides along the roof of my mouth. 

I thoroughly muss his perfect hair, wanting to feel its softness for too long. 

Our mouths move in perfect harmony, like it was always meant to be like this. 

I'm feeling out if breath, and suddenly have to push away.

I cough once. 

"Aw shit Steve!" He yells already running off for my inhaler I assume. 

As he bursts back in, puffer in hand, he rushes to carry me to my dilapidated bed. 

All the while he puts in my puffer, and pushes in air, he repeats, "I'm sorry Stevie, I'm sorry." 

My breathing quickly evens out and even after that, all I can do is smile. 

I catch my breath finally, and lean back to the couch.

"What the hell are you grinning 'bout Stevie!" He says, attempting at being angry. 

I look over to him still smiling and place a quick kiss on his lips. 

"That." I say leaning my head on his shoulder. 

"Christ Steve," he says shaking his head. "If this was all some stupid ruse just to get me in bed with you, I swear I will-" 

I don't let him finish lightly punching him on the arm, and testing the waters again kissing him light on the lips. 

"You jus' have to ask Steve." He tells me grinning.

This morning, before Bucky left for work at the pier, when I asked, he said was well enough to go outside for a little bit. 

He warned me "No more than a hour out there shrimp." With a grin. 

He left an entire winter ensemble out by the door even though it was warm enough for him to walk out in a short sleeved shirt. 

I sigh now thinking of just how much trouble I will be in when Bucky gets home and sees me like this. 

My left eye is bruising up and swollen, I have a puffed up split lip, sore ribs and god knows what else. 

The day began so calm and peaceful. 

I even gained a small peck on the lips from Bucky before he left. 

Shortly after, the cool outside air soothed my healing lungs. 

I was about to turn around when I saw them. A group of three strong men laying a beating on some poor black man. 

I tried to make myself forget about it, to turn and leave, but I wanted to help the man.

It wasn't fair for people to treat other people that way no matter what race they were. 

The guys shouted racial slurs as the man sat limp, feeling defeated on the ground. 

Needless to say, when I stepped in to help, I wasn't exactly a shining saviour, but eventually, they got bored and left the two of us bleeding on the ground. 

Him much worse off than me. 

I helped him up and promised to get him safely back home. 

He lived in a ratty old apartment like me and Bucky, and he tried to make a life for his wife and two daughters. 

His name was Arthur, and he shook my hand gratefully when I got him back home safe. 

We parted ways and I raced back home, determined to clean myself up before Bucky arrived. 

My asthma caught up to me though and I was lucky I made it home at all. 

I took a puff out of my inhaler, and ran to the bathroom. 

Now, I stand in front of the mirror, assessing the damage. 

I'm also dusted in dirt from falling on the alley floor one too many times. 

I gingerly dab at the wounds, trying to at least get the dirt of of them and glance at the clock. 

Bucky'll be home any minute now. 

I sigh deciding its no use, and go to sit on our old couch to wait for him.

I since as I hear Bucky struggling with the keys outside the door, already chattering about his day. 

"How ya doing Stevie?" He says smiling. 

I see his back is turned, closing the door, and I try to plaster on a smile before he sees me. 

"Alright." I say as I see him about to turn. 

He drops what's in his hands and runs to me, leaning on his knees I'm front of me. 

"Oh Stevie..." He says as he gently turns my head from by my chin back and forth to asses the damage. 

"'S not so bad." I tell him wincing as he ever so gently touches my lips. 

"Does it hurt 'nywhere else?" He asks looking me dead in the eyes. 

"Jus' my ribs... A bit." I say speaking deliberately slowly. 

"Who did this?" He asks, anger evident in his voice, but his hands keep tracing my face and bruises with extreme gentleness.

"Uh.. I didn't know 'em."

He didn't interrogate further. He only said. "When will you see learn Stevie." 

I looked at him smiling. "Hey, I had 'em on the ropes." 

He smiles back and traces along my thoroughly swollen lip. 

My breathing picks up thinking of him doing the same thing last night for a very different reason. 

"Sorry." He says quickly pulling away. "That one hurts doesn't it." 

How do I tell him it had nothing to do with pain? 

I shrug. 

That makes my ribs throb again. 

"Lets go get you cleaned up." He tells me, and before I can move, he's scooped me up in his arms and carries me to our small bathroom.

He sets me on top of the counter so he doesn't have to crouch down, and he goes into the cupboard quickly, pulling out a small bottle of ointment. 

He grabs the rag I was using on my face before he came, and puts a little ointment on it. 

He reaches to me cupping one side of my face with his left hand and uses the other hand to dab on my lip. 

He frowns for a moment and pulls away. 

"I can't clean these out with you so filthy like that." He says sighing. 

He closes the bathroom door, and reaches for the buttons of my shirt. 

I furrow my eyebrows in confusion before saying, "Buck, I can do this myself 'sokay-" but he cuts me off quickly. 

"Don't be ridiculous Stevie. It's hurting you jus' sitting up." 

When he says it, I do feel the throbbing in my ribs that I momentarily forgot about when Bucky touched me. 

I sighed knowing that protesting will get me nowhere.

He continues with the buttons as my breathing picks up. 

Once they're undone, he gingerly pulls it off my arms, and reveals my sickly, pale stomach. 

A large bump, a bruise already starting to form, sits on the skin of my last left rib. 

Bucky frowns and looks up at me. 

"'Snot to bad Buck." I say quietly, unconvincingly. 

He looks at me annoyed, before he sighs softly. 

"Okay Stevie," he says crossing his arms.

I start to try to get down on my own, but he sweeps me off my feet, (in only the most literal sense) and sets me back down carefully. 

I roll my eyes at him. 

"Alrighty," Bucky says all business-like. "Strip down." 

I raise my eyebrows, but he slightly grins, turning around to fill a bath.

I swallow and take off my pants starting with the belt. 

When I'm done I walk over slowly, seeing he's stopped the tap. 

I see it's not filled up too much, but I know that's just because we don't want to get the water cut off. 

I stand beside him, naked and blushing, trying to step into the tub. 

He holds me around the waist helping me in. 

"Thanks." I mutter embarrassed. 

Once I'm sitting in, he reaches into the cupboard grabbing a bar of soap and a pitcher. 

"Bucky," I start about to protest again. 

"No Stevie." He says firmly. "I'm helping. You might have a cracked rib, and you know even if it gets worse, we can't afford hospital charges." 

I raise my pale eyebrows before releasing out a breath I didn't know I was holding. 

I finally reply, mumbling, "You could've just washed my face." 

I hear him laugh softly before saying, "Well, you stink anyway." 

I try to hold back a smile, (it doesn't work very well) and tell him smugly, "You don't smell to great yourself." 

He chuckles as he picks up the pitcher, fills it with the bath water and pours it over my chest. 

I shiver slightly as the cool water runs down me. 

"Sorry Stevie," Bucky says apologetically. "You know if I could get warmer water I would." He elaborates. 

Even when we turn on the hot water, it takes a while of running for it to heat up. 

We can't afford to waste that much water just trying to get I warm. 

I nod understanding. 

He gets the white bar of soap, and starts to run it gently along my chest and stomach. 

It leaves trails of little milky bubbles behind.

When he's done, he pours more water from the pitcher over it again, leaving a soapy film on top of the water. 

"Okay..." He says filling the pitcher up this time from the tap. 

"Close your eyes and mouth." Bucky tells me, holding the pitcher above my head.

When he sees that I've closed them, he pours the pitcher over my head. 

It's cold, but it's refreshing, and it feels good on my bruises. 

I hear him quietly humming to himself as he rubs the soap bar onto a cloth to clean off my face. 

I smile when I recognize the old familiar tune. It was the song that we danced to. 

He continues the process of washing my face, paying close attention to anywhere that has broken skin.

I loose control with the humming he is doing, and stop him, resting a small wet hand on his cheek. 

Despite the water, he smiles, and kisses my forehead so gently I think could have dreamed it all. 

He pulls back and smiles, wiping the soap off of his mouth with the back of his hand. 

I sigh softly, thinking maybe this whole getting beat up thing had its perks.


End file.
